Sources: Grass Valley city manager to ‘resign’

City Administrator Dan Holler will be stepping down from the position of City Administrator.

There is a desire by the City Council to move in direction for which Holler sees himself as not being the best fit for the City.

While this is a difficult time, it also represents an opportunity to build the City Department Head team with the search for a new Fire Chief and Finance Director.

This will allow the Council and new Administrator to start fresh.

The change will allow Holler to focus on new opportunities in both the public and private sector, without impacting Grass Valley.

The City has a very capable staff and a system in place for other Department Heads to fill-in on short term assignments taking on the duties of the City Administrator.

For Holler the past five and half years has been challenging financially for the city and managing that process with the loss of redevelopment, with an aggressive capital investment program, ongoing service demands and looking for creative ways to help the economy has been very demanding.

“For me and the City, it is time for a change. The City has a bright future and will continue to serve its residents, businesses and visitors well.” said Holler.

His last day will be Sept. 3. The City Council will be meeting that week to formalize their next steps in filling the position.

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Grass Valley City Administrator Dan Holler will no longer lead the town’s executive municipal functions, according to sources familiar with the situation.

Holler’s exit is being described as a “resignation,” according to multiple sources. However, those sources also said that the term was a mutually agreed upon description of a decision emanating from a closed-door meeting Tuesday.

No announcements were made on any decisions made in the council’s closed session held prior to the public portion of its regularly scheduled Tuesday meeting.

Sources said a news release on the matter would be issued this morning. No details as to when Holler’s departure will occur were available as of press time Wednesday.

In Grass Valley, the city administrator is the chief administrative officer who manages the day-to-day business of the municipality. The city administrator is appointed by the city council and “serves at their pleasure,” according to the city’s website.

With the city administrator providing general supervision of all department leaders, the mayor’s role is largely symbolic, although the mayor does officiate the city council meeting and its agenda.

Holler was manager for 12 years of nearby Douglas County, Nev., which abuts the southeastern end of Lake Tahoe and has about 41,000 residents, before taking the Grass Valley job in February of 2008.

During his tenure in Grass Valley, Holler has seen the city through the housing crisis and ensuing economic decline that saw the city’s annual budget drop from $12 million to $10 million, forcing layoffs of employees, among other budget cuts.

However, following the recession, an overwhelming majority of voters approved Measure N in November 2012, a temporary half-of-a-percent sales tax hike to stabilize city services, such as staffing police and firefighters.

Measure N is expected to bring in nearly $1.8 million during its first year alone.

Holler has also been at the helm of the city as it embarked on the Dorsey Interchange project, a nearly $25 million addition of entrances and exits to Highway 20/49 at Dorsey Drive — a project that had been gestating nearly three decades before coming to fruition.